Scientists say our brains think slowly

The human brain is powered by more than 85 billion neurons (nerve cells that carry information) that send electrical signals. Despite all that brain power, a new study by scientists at Caltech, in California, found that humans think surprisingly slowly. The researchers determined that our brains have a “speed limit” for processing information, which is about 10 bits (the smallest units of digital information) per second. They got this number by converting the brain’s electrical signals into bits and calculating how many bits people used to perform tasks like writing, playing video games, or solving a Rubik’s Cube. The team also calculated that we absorb sensory information about the world around us—like smell, sight, and sound—at about 1 billion bits per second. This means that our brains are processing information…

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The Week Junior US (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 251

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